Karnataka BJP V-P slams govt for making eggs part of mid-day meals

Karnataka BJP vice president Tejaswini said that food given to students should not be a “political statement”, recommended that adding eggs to solve malnutrition was a “lazy policy move” and that it should be given to students as a ‘take-home ration’ if the government does insist on continuing with its decision.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Karnataka vice president Tejaswini Ananthkumar on Tuesday slammed the state government over the findings of its recently-commissioned report, indicating that eggs were vital in solving malnutrition.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Karnataka vice president Tejaswini Ananthkumar on Tuesday slammed the state government over the findings of its recently-commissioned report, indicating that eggs were vital in solving malnutrition. (Representative use)

Tejaswini said that food given to students should not be a “political statement”, recommended that adding eggs to solve malnutrition was a “lazy policy move” and that it should be given to students as a ‘take-home ration’ if the government does insist on continuing with its decision.

“In our unequal society, there are only a few places where a child is treated equally. Government school is one such place. That is why schools have uniforms so that a child’s social identities do not affect their education. In the same way, the food given to students shouldn’t be a political statement and should be such that all students can consume it,” she said.

Her statement comes a day after her tweet criticising the government for including eggs in mid-day meals at schools attracted mixed reactions.

“Why has our Karnataka govt decided to give eggs in midday meal? These are not the only source of nutrition. It is also exclusionary to many students who are vegetarians. Our policies are to be designed such that every student has equal opportunity (sic),” she said in a post on Twitter on Monday.

She said that it was wrong to think that only eggs can solve malnutrition and suggested that the state government include lentils, sprouts and other home-grown produce.

Incidentally, in its position paper on ‘health and wellbeing, the panel on National Education Policy (NEP) from Karnataka recommended to the government on the ‘ill-effects’ of eating eggs, which can lead to ‘lifestyle disorders’ and lead to diabetes, early menarche, primary infertility, among others, HT reported on July 12.

A study conducted and its findings released in July by the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University (Gadag) submitted a proposal that eggs, bananas and peanut candy (chikki) be provided to students between classes 1-8 to overcome rampant malnutrition in children.

Tejaswini’s statements hint at the possibility of airing her views to get the attention of her party and the large Brahmin population in the southern localities of Bengaluru ahead of the 2023 assembly elections, people close to developments said.

Tejaswini is the wife of late Ananth Kumar, the former Union minister and senior BJP leader, who died in November 2018. According to the above-cited people, when Ananth Kumar died, his wife was supposed to be fielded from Bengaluru South for the Lok Sabha seat and even had the backing of leaders like BS Yediyurappa.

However, the BJP’s central leadership chose to field 28-year-old Tejaswi Surya, which led to a significant amount of friction within the ranks as Tejaswini was the clear favourite at the time. Yediyurappa then made Tejaswini the BJP state vice president.

Speculation is rife that she may likely be a ticket aspirant from the locality in 2023 as the BJP looks to edge out the Congress in Bengaluru’s 28 assembly constituencies.

Sowmya Reddy from the Congress won from Jayanagar assembly constituency in 2018 after the sudden demise of BN Vijaykumar, the two-term BJP MLA from the seat.

“There are many aspirants from Jayanagar for this seat, and we are not sure about why these comments were made. But the final decision will be taken only by the party high command as BJP has a strong base there and will no doubt want to take back Jayanagar as every seat counts to get a majority on our own,” said a party functionary from the locality, requesting not to be named

Brahmins account for possibly the second largest voter group in Bengaluru South after the Vokkaligas, and the BJP is hoping to win in Jayanagar in 2023, the functionary added.

Tejaswini and her late husband had started a voluntary organisation called Adamya Chetana that works in the field of social development. Tejaswini claimed that Adamya Chetana has been working in the mid-day meal programme for the last two decades and serves 200,000 school children daily.